Gyroscopic apparatus



J. AND J. fiL GRAY.

YBvoscoPlc APPARATUS.

i y./15 /a APPLICATION FILED OGL "I4, I'9I8`.

Patentedluly 22, 1919.

ZSHEETS-SHEET l.

.L AND J. G GRAY.

GYROSCOPIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED ocr. I4. 19m.

Pacnted'luly 22, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 JOHN GRAY, or LONDON,` ENGLAND, AND JAMES GORDON emmer GLASGOW,

scOTLAND.

GYROSCOPIC APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN GRAY and JAMES' GORDON GRAY, subjects of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at London, England, and Glasgow, Scotland, respectively, have invented a 'certain new and useful Improvement in Gyroscopic Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates 'to gyroscopic stabilizers and steering apparatus for use on moving bodies such as aeroplanes and battleships for example.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations showing two simple embodiments of the invention. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a modification of wider application. Fig. 4 shows a further modiication. t y,

Referring to Fig. 1, a gyroscope casing 1 is gimbaled as at 2 to a frame 3, which frame,

is 1n turn gimbaled at 4, 4 to two uprights 5, 5 rigidly attachedv to a base vcarried by the moving body. The spindle 9 ofthe gyroscope ywheel is extended upwardly through the casing 1 and carries a boss having two or more radial arms 10, 10. Attached to the free ends of these arms .are vanes 11, 11. Depending from the casing 1 distributed that when the axis ofthe spindle 9 is vertical the center of gravityy of lsaid system lies slightly below the intersection of the gimbal axes.

When the spindle 9 is rotating, the vanes 11, 11 are forcibly rotated in the air, and a couple or torque is applied to the caslng 1 in a plane parallel to that in which the flywheel is spinning, the sense or direction of which couple is opposite to that of the spin ofthe flywheel. In these circumstances, thegyroscopic system is stabilized into the vertical. If the axis of the spindle 9 becomes inclined to the vertical, the couple applied to the casing 1 by the passage of the vanes at high speed through the a1r, 1s resolved into two components, one vertical and the other horizontal, and the horizontal component retards the precessional motion ofthe gyroscope.' Thus if the gyroscope be tilted about the axis of the pivots 2, the reaction couple has a component whose axls Specification of Letters Patent.

however,

Patented July 22,1919.

Application led October 14, 1918. Serial N O. 258,125.

lies along the line of the pivots 4, 4, and

whose direction is such that the axis ofthe spindle 9 tends to the vertical.

If .the apparatus be adjusted so that the center of gravity of the pivoted systeni lies at the intersection of the gimbal axes, then the equilibrium position of the gyroscope 1s one .in which vthe axis of the spindle 9 is perpendicular to the gimbal axes. Thus, if the base 6 be tilted so as to incline the axis 4, 4, the casing 1 will come to rest withv the axis of the spindle 9 perpendicular to the axis 4, 4. When the pivoted system is provided with gravitational stability, as al-` ready explained, the equilibrium position vof the gyroscope, when the axis 4, 4 is` tiltat the intersection of t e gimbal axes, the is a set of weights 7, by adjustment of which the weight of the pivoted system can be so equilibrium position of the [arrangement will be one in which the axis of the torque applied by the vanes to the casingis perpendicular to the gilnbal axes. It is preferable,

lel to the fiywheel.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification in which plane of rotation of the gyroscope -a reaction torque applied to "the casing 1 of a gyroscope is employed to maintain the gyroscope with its axis' horizontal. The spindle Aof the flywheel is extended beyond the casing at 9', 9', the extensions carrying radial arms 10, 10, to which are attached systems of vanes 11, 11. These vanes are so arrangedthat there is applied to the casing 1 a reaction torque or couple the sense of which is opposed to the direction of spin of the flywheel of the gyroscope. Y The casing 1 of the gyroscope is pivoted at 2 to a fork 3 and this fork is carried on a spindle 4; mounted in a pedestal bearing 5 attached to the base 6 If to rotate theHvanes 1n a plane paralthe center of gravity of the gyroscope, its

casing, etc.,` lies at the intersection of the axes of the pivots 2 and 4', the equilibrium position of the gyroscope will be one in which the axis of the flywheel spindle is perpendicular to the axis 4. If the axis of the flywheel spindle becomes inclined to the horizontal (supposing the axis 4 maintained vertical) the reaction couple has a component about the axis 4 and theA di,

rection 'of this component is such as to bring the axis of the iywheel spindle into the horizontal. Thus, if the pedestal bearing 5 be maintained vertical, the axis of the gyroscope is maintained horizontal.

This apparatus is of importance as a' direction pointer for use on aircraft and as a gyroscopicsteering device. AThe base 6 i is attached to the aeroplane or other moving body. It will be seen that if the aeroplane Aturn in azimuth, carrying with it the bearof the flywheel spindle be not in the merid-vv ian, the rotation ofthe earth brings about tilting of the axis, and this tilt (since the gyroscope is provided with gravity control) causes precession on the bearing 5, which precession brings theaxis of the flywheel s indle toward the. meridian. At thesame time* the precessional motion on the bearing 5 -is retarded by a component of the reaction couple due to the vanes. Thus, the

gyroscope oscillates to and fro' about the meridian in diminishing amplitude, and' iinally comes to rest with its axls'north and south.

A' disadvantage lofthe apparatus shown in Fig. 2 lies- -in the fact that when it is .fitted on avmoving body the bearing 5 is not maintainedvertical; pitching and rolling motions of the" body cause the axis 4 to' deviate from the vertical, and affect the gyroscope. Fig. 3 shows the invention in a more complete form with this defect rey moved. A gyroscope casing 12 is mounted .ots 22 carried by a fork 32.

vis, carried by a spindle 42, which is mounted with its axis horizontal on horizontal piv- This fork 32 freely ina pedestal bearing 52, or tlie equivalent. The spindle of the iywheel is extended at 92, 92, and the extensions carry arms 102, 102 to which are attached systems of vanes.112, 112. Rigidly attached below the bearing 52 is a second gyroscope casing 13,

' i the 'axis of which is vertical. The spindle of the second gyroscope is extended at 93 and vcarries transverse arms 103 to which are attached vaneslls' as shown.- It will thus be seen that the fork 32, the bearing 52 and the caslng 13 form a rigid system. This system is gimbaled as at 13 to a frame 14, which is in turn gimbaied a 15, 15 'to upri ha 16,

16 carried by a base 17 attached to t e mov- Va certain amount of gravity control; that is, the center of gravity of the lsaid system lies slightly below the intersection of the pivots 13 and 15,'When the system is upright. When the flywheel of the gyroscope 13 fis spinning, and consequently thevanes 113 are rotating in the air, the system is stabilized into -the vertical. If the center of gravity of the gyroscope 12'lie at the intersection of theV lines of the pivots 22, 42, the axis of the gyroscope 12 is stabilized into the horizontal, when the flywheel of the gyroscope 12 is spinning, by the torque applied to the casing 1 due to the rotation in the air of the vanes 112. Since the bearing 52 forms part of the main pivoted system, it is always maintained vertical, and there is no disturbance of the gyroscope 12 due to inclination to the vertical of the pivot 42. The main pivoted system, that is, the system pivoted at 13, 15, is available to indicate the vertical on a moving body, and

the gyroscope' 12 is available for steering purposes and as a direction pointer.

If thev center of gravity of the gyroscope 12 lie below the axis of the pivots 22 when the axis of the gyroscope 12 is horizontal, the device becomes a gyroscopic compass, as already explained, in which the meridianfinding gyroscope 121s protected from errors due to rolling and pitching of the moving body on whlch it is mounted by a main stabilizing gyroscope 13.

In the described embodiments `of the invention the stabilizing torques applied to the casings of the gyroscopes are obtained by forcibly rotating vanes attached to the spindles of the flywheels. In Fig. 4 is shown an embodiment in which the stabilizing torque is. obtained by rotating a conducting disk in the neighborhood of a mag-' net. The construction of the apparatus is Isimilar to that illustrated in Fig. 1. The spindle of the gyroscope 14 is extended at 92 and carries a disk 18 of metal-of high electrical conductivity. Attached to thev base 62 is a magnet 19 so arranged that its Iliorth and southpoles lie4 close to the disk 8. direction of spin of the gyroscope spindle, a torque is applied to the casingl 14, the sense When the'fffdisk 18 'is rotated in the v or direction of which torque 1s .opposite to thatof lthe spin, and this vtorque'stabilizes the gyroscope into the vertical. The torque is produced, of course, by the production of eddy currents in the disk 18'by its motion relativelyv to the magnet 19.

It will readily be seen that the stabilizing 'torques may be. obtained by' providing separate drives for the systems of vanes or for.l the disk of Fig. 4. Thus, the vanes or disks might be driven by small electric motors, or, Where turbine gyroscopes are employed, by small separate turbines. r1`he gyroscopes employed may, of course, be of any convenient type.

The system of valles and the conducting ablein the same circular direction as said spindle journaled Within said casing, and

a brake carried by said spindle and adapted to exercise on said casing a torque the sense of which is opposite to that of rotation of said spindle.v

3.In a gyroscopic. apparatus of the type described, means for stabilizing a gyroscope with reference to trunnion axes, consisting of a brake composed of vanes rotating in air, such rotation 'resulting in the application of a torque or couple to the gyroscope casing, such torque or couple being opposed in sense to that of the spin of the iiywheel.

4f. In a gyroscopic apparatus, the combination with a suitable support, of two gyroscopes mounted to rotate in planes at right angles to each other and both having pivotal connections at right angles to each other With said support, and braking means for applying torque to said gyroscopes.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN GRAY. JAMES GORDON GRAY. Witnesses:

-HENRY MASON, FLORENCE HOUSTON. 

